Warning: mt_rand(): max(-1) is smaller than min(0) in /var/customers/webs/stalker/www.stalker.cd/inc/inc-home.php on line 93
Warning: Illegal string offset 'URL' in /var/customers/webs/stalker/www.stalker.cd/inc/inc-home.php on line 112
Warning: Illegal string offset 'LOC' in /var/customers/webs/stalker/www.stalker.cd/inc/inc-home.php on line 113
Warning: Illegal string offset 'URL' in /var/customers/webs/stalker/www.stalker.cd/inc/inc-home.php on line 130
Warning: Illegal string offset 'LOC' in /var/customers/webs/stalker/www.stalker.cd/inc/inc-home.php on line 131

I was not the only one who had been waiting for the follow-up of the 2009 album “Metamorphosis”, one of those CDs that rotate most often in my player... Moreover, I caught a glimpse of the new material at some of the (unfortunately rare) gigs of the band.

The latter dominate this album, unlike Metamorphosis, the clean vocals and choirs remain scarce. What was added are keyboard-electronics-sampling elements, and the overall impression is darker, even sardonic, which adds a sinister dimension to the calmer parts – in that sense the second album could be called much tougher than the first.

The powerful mystical, epic opening Gathering The Storms prepares the setting for the following tracks, and yes, also here you will find a saxophone. It’s ear candy, just like Waiting for Deliverance; when calmer parts are introduced – e.g. Catharsis – they could serve well as a soundtrack for a David Lynch movie. Or it´s like a parody of Pop, like the part in the middle of Fading Hope. The instrumental Towards Perdition reminds you of NINs best days and offers a good transition to the sinister Fading Hope with its hypnotic dialogue of vocals & choir.

But let´s stop the attempts to describe the music here, it has to fail because of those multilayered song structures and the variety of elements... just check out the band homepage where you find some of the old songs, and simply get hold of this new album. I hope it comes with a beautiful cover artwork like the predecessor (I had a digital version for the review).

PS: You can read how this album was recorded here: http://crib45studiodiary.blogspot.fi/